Most people have, at some time in their life, purchased or received a greeting card. Such cards are often given to celebrate milestones in a person's life, such as birthdays and anniversaries, or to commemorate important events such as graduations, religious holidays, or the death of a loved one. Cards are, in short, a common and well-liked means of expressing an appropriate sentiment to a friend, relative or colleague on an important occasion.
Recently, many new forms of greeting cards have been proposed and introduced into the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,085, discloses a greeting card device comprised of a pair of foldable panels with an inner foldable receptacle capable of holding water for a living plant. The card combines the common practice of bestowing flowers on special occasions with the practice of sending a card. The greeting card is intended to be discarded within a few days of receipt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,241 discloses a packaged balloon and greeting card combination. An uninflated balloon with an image printed thereon is provided with a greeting card having a face displaying an image corresponding to the image on the balloon. A separate envelope may also bear an imprint of the same image. The greeting card and the envelope serve as a protective cover for the balloon during shipment, storage and display. The balloon and greeting card are packaged together as a unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,351 discloses a greeting card having a magnetic picture frame temporarily attached to the card's surface with a releasable adhesive. The frame can hold a picture on the front of the card that can be removed from the card and magnetically attached to a ferrous metal surface such as a refrigerator.
Notwithstanding the numerous new and unusual embodiments that have been developed, the traditional greeting card has remained relatively unchanged over the years. Although they may vary in size, greeting cards uniformly consist of one or more folded sheets of paperboard or paper stock material. An appropriate sentiment or illustration is printed on either the inside or outside of the card, or both.
Despite the importance that many persons attach to giving and receiving greeting cards, and the fact that they are often sent to commemorate important occasions, such cards generally do not last very long, and are, in fact, made of disposable materials. Thus, after prolonged display, use or storage, greeting cards tend to warp, sag, tear, or yellow and deteriorate with age. This is particularly unfortunate since some cards may be important enough to the recipient that he or she wishes to save them for many years to come.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a durable, long lasting greeting card which can be saved and displayed after receipt for an extended period, beyond the lifespan of the traditional paper greeting card. Moreover, consumers are always interested in new and interesting ways of sending gifts or holiday sentiments.
There is also a need and interest in the industry for a new, improved form of greeting card, having novel features which enhance or improve their impact on a recipient.